33 Essential Resources for a Natural Life

As a natural health blogger, there are many natural resources that I have come to love – natural products, pantry staples, supplements and accessories. Here is my list of natural resources that I can’t live without!

33 Essential resources for a natural life

Products

I absolutely love essential oils. I use them for everything from DIY personal care products to DIY cleaning to natural remedies. They are truly amazing and unbelievably effective. Many people do not fully comprehend the capabilities of essential oils.

Fractionated coconut oil is liquid coconut oil. Regular coconut oil hardens in colder temperatures and liquefies in warmer temperatures. Fractionated coconut oil, conversely, does not harden; it remains in liquid form. This makes it extremely useful for making DIY products in which you want the coconut oil to remain a liquid such as this pain relief roll-on.

Castile soap is a natural liquid soap. It is very versatile; you can use it in all kinds of homemade products. I use it often in my DIY personal care and cleaning products such as in this homemade hand soap and floor cleaner. Some recipes require very little castile soap which makes it well worth the money.

4. Baking soda

I use baking soda in some of homemade DIY cleaning products such as in this homemade carpet deoderizer. You can also use it along with vinegar to clog your drain and clean your kettle. In addition, you can use it to make a paste with water to scrub your bathroom walls, shine your silverware and of course for baking and much more. You can get six small (regular size) cartons of baking soda at Costco for an excellent price.

5. White vinegar

White vinegar can be used with baking soda, as mentioned above. I use it in many of my homemade cleaning products such as in this homemade all-purpose cleaner and dish soap. It is also great for making fermented foods (that help to heal your gut) like pickles.

I use witch hazel in many of my homemade personal care products such as in this homemade acne treatment. It is helpful when combining essential oils and water as the two don’t mix. However, when you add witch hazel, it helps the water and oils blend together so the oils don’t sit on top of the solution.

Shea butter is a fantastic addition to homemade personal care products. I use it in this homemade lip balm, for example. It is similar to cocoa butter. However, I prefer shea butter because it has a much lighter scent than cocoa butter, which smells like chocolate (that’s great sometimes, but I don’t want everything smelling like chocolate). I use it often in conjunction with coconut oil and sometimes beeswax.

Ultimate Bundles are health packages that include an insane amount of resources at a ridiculously low price…seriously. I have invested in three bundles so far and I have my eye on more. They are beyond helpful for the price – you will be blown away.

The bundles are only available a few times throughout the year so you have to get them while you can, or else you’ll have to wait for the following year. Learn more about the bundles.

Pantry staples

Coconut oil is great for so many things. I use it in baked goods, as it can safely withstand very high temperatures. I use it in many DIY personal care products as well. You can get a huge container of extra virgin coconut oil at Costco for a great price.

15. Coconut yogourt

Coconut yogourt is an excellent substitute for regular yogourt. I don’t like to eat yogourt as is but I add coconut yogourt to smoothies and some baked goods such as these delicious muffins. I like Silk coconut yogourt.

16. Coconut milk (canned)

I use canned coconut milk in my coffee, in baked goods and even in some DIY personal care products such as this homemade face cream (like Noxzema) and body wash. My favorite is Native Forest coconut milk because it is organic and the can is BPA-free (you can find it in your local grocery store).

17. Coconut milk (carton)

I use unsweetened coconut milk as a dairy-free replacement in cooking and baking. It does not have an overly strong coconut smell or flavour. I like So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.

Avocado oil is a great replacement for cooking oil because it can withstand very high temperatures alongside coconut oil, except it has a very mild flavour. Some people think olive oil is fine for baking and cooking but it is not as it cannot withstand high temperatures, although, it is a great base for salad dressing, for example. You can get a huge one-liter bottle at Costco for a steal.

Coconut sugar is unrefined, unlike white sugar. In addition, it is lower on the glycemic index, which means it does not raise your blood sugar as much as white sugar. Right now, until Christmas time, you can get a large bag of coconut sugar for a great price (I plan to stock up). 🙂

20. Raw honey

I love honey. I use honey in baked goods, in smoothies, in coffee, in cinnamon tea, on cereal, etc. You can use honey in a face mask and for healing acne and wounds (dab honey on pimples or on a deep cut on your finger and it will heal within a couple of days). Local honey is best. Learn more about the benefits of honey.

When I can’t use honey or maple syrup, I use stevia. Typically, I use it in some drinks like this paleo pop or tea. Stevia can be bitter. I will admit, it took me a while to find a kind that I liked. Sweetleaf and Now Stevia are my favorites. Stevia does not raise your blood sugar (at all) but, best of all, it has zero calories! 😉

22. Almond milk

As with stevia, it took me a while to fall in love with almond milk, until I found a kind that I like. I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk (Almond Breeze) on cereal, in smoothies and in baked goods. It is an excellent substitution to dairy.

I usually bake with sprouted spelt or sprouted whole wheat flour. However, sometimes it is nice to use almond flour to add a slightly crumbly, cookie-like crust to baked goods. I also use almond flour as a substitute for breadcrumbs – it works perfectly! You can get a large bag of this at Costco for a great price. Oh Costco, you complete me. 🙂

If you’re going to consume wheat, sprouted and ancient grains are the way to go. Typically, I use sprouted whole wheat flour in muffin recipes but you can use it one for one in any recipe you like. I like Anita’s brand. Learn more about the benefits of ancient grains.

I use sprouted spelt flour much more often than sprouted whole wheat flour. This is because spelt has a much milder taste than whole wheat. I use it in most baked goods, to make gravy, pancakes, etc. Again, Anita’s wins for me. Learn more about sprouted wheat.

Supplements

If you are looking to heal your gut, probiotics should be the first thing you add to your diet. Probiotics increase healthy gut bacteria. A decrease of good gut bacteria and an increase of bad gut bacteria is an epidemic these days due to the overuse of antibiotics, commercial hand sanitizers, etc. Learn more about the importance of healthy gut bacteria and what it can do for your health.

Digestive enzymes are my next go to for healing my gut. If you have digestive issues, you are probably lacking important enzymes needed to digest your food properly (such is the case with those who are lactose intolerant).

Accessories

Like Himalayan salt, Himalayan salt lamps are very beneficial to your health. The salt in the lamp absorbs water molecules from the air, thereby absorbing toxins in the air. Besides offering a beautiful, relaxing light, they also clean the air and can be helpful for people with allergies. Learn more about Himalayan salt lampsand the benefits.

I often use essential oils topically (directly applied to the skin). However, another great way to reap the countless benefits of essential oils is to add a few drops to an essential oil diffuser. Plus, it makes your home smell so nice.

Recently, I tried numerous brands of blenders (Hamilton Beach,Black and Decker and Oster). I really liked the thought of Oster because they have metal gears (for turning the blades) instead of plastic ones. However, the one I tried was extremely noisy.

Then finally,I found the mother of all blenders! I bought a Ninja Professional 1000w blender. It is the bomb! I needed something strong and durable because I use it daily to make smoothies and something that could easily crush ice without frying the motor. I was worried about trying this blender because the jug is plastic and I wondered if it would crack…under pressure ;). However, the jug is much more robust then I imagined. Not only that, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it has not one but, three blades! Move over Vitamix, I think I found your match at a much more affordable price! 🙂

Conclusion

There you have it. That is my list of essential resources for a natural life. I hope you found something that will help you to live a more natural life.

Be happy, stay healthy! 🙂

Kenda

Please share if you know someone who would find this helpful. Thanks! 🙂

Do you have a list of essential resources? Are there any natural resources you can’t live without? Share your comments below.